Incarnate
by Gaulfeather
Summary: The forest is infested with them. Traitors, power-crazed creatures, merciless beings of shadow. Only a few stand to fight. Only a few. - My first :D; read and review please?
1. Introduction

Incarnate.

The velvet sky was inky black; suffocating, vast. It stretched for miles in every direction, clear, blemished only by blinking stars and wispy clouds lined with yellow. The moon hung like a glorious orb in the silence. It observed the arid plains beneath, its dusty gaze sweeping over every dry brittle blade of grass. Crickets chirruped.

Out of nowhere, lithe shapes began to slip through the grass. Eyes occasionally flashed, claws occasionally glinted, when all at once they stopped. They pressed down to the baked, hard earth, silent.

The crickets stopped.

The Umbreon could feel the depleted grass rasp against the soft skin of his belly as he pressed further still into the compacted earth. This heat-wave could not go on forever, yet, to him, it felt as though it already had. He raised his handsome head in frustration. His pointed ears, ringed with yellow, twitched as his muscles rippled under a short pelt of gleaming black fur. He gazed out across the plains, and his cherry eyes narrowed into slits.

From the ambiguous rocks at the opposite side of the field, dark figures emerged. They trickled out slowly, the moonlight dusting their bodies with silver. They formed a solid, intimidating line, their bodies not quite touching, their eyes staring impassively ahead, hollow inside their skulls.

Waiting.

The Umbreon stirred. Beside him, a short horned creature shifted restlessly. It seemed to be a cross between a small rhinoceros and rabbit, its body adorned with sharp needles. It spoke, and small fangs flashed in its jaws.

"Kyosan," he rasped into the religious silence, "why do we linger so long?"

The Umbreon lowered his powerful head and glared at the Nidorino. His fur prickled as, all around him, the other Pokémon began to show signs of uneasiness and disquiet. Did they all think he was waiting too long? Where they wondering the same thing?

"Because, Boreil," he eventually hissed, the yellow rings across his body suddenly beaming alight as his anger rose, "in chess, pawns make the first move."

The Nidorino flinched at the fox's obvious anger. Around them, the dark figures of the Pokémon looked over warily as the neon markings on Kyosan's body started to shine.

However, they weren't the only ones to notice.

On opposite side of the plains, a Crawdaunt stood firm in his unbreakable line of allies. His blank gaze trickled slowly across the mass of dark vibrancy that was his enemies, and with a small prick of amusement, he saw an unnatural glint of gold.

"Kyosan, Kyosan," he said softly, his crimson claws clicking beside his shelled body. "Your anger betrays you..."

A thud beside him signalled the arrival of Voyuko from the top of the rocks. Hearing the harsh grunts, the crab looked instead to the elephant-like creature next to him. It was breathing heavily, two long and chipped tusks protruding from beneath the dark-grey armour that shielded its solid, stubby body.

"Memphis," the Donphan snorted, still slightly dazed from his jump from the rocks. "When do we move in?"

The Crawdaunt turned his head back to where importance laid, the question already forgotten. Voyuko pawed the ground nervously, his eyes burning with impatience as the dirt churned against his feet.

"Memphis?" he asked again, but the crab raised a huge claw to silence him almost immediately.

"He is waiting for the pawns," he murmured, his small eyes gazing forever across the desolate plains towards his enemies. "However as usual... he forgets that the pawns can move twice."


	2. Poison and the Hero

**[OoC/; **Okay, my first proper chapter. :3 I hope you enjoy. Remember to review the noob! xD

**Chapter One:** _Poison and the Hero_

A warning yowl from somewhere in behind him made Kyosan's head snap around. He searched for the source of the cry, and then fury rose inside him like vomit as a thunder of paws and hooves shook the ground beneath him. His scarlet eyes widened as howls and wails of shock erupted all around him.

A swarm of Pokémon was streaking across the fields from their right side, totally separate from Memphis and his Pokémon. They all moved powerfully, their sleek bodies bunching and stretching as they leaped across the grass and parched ground. With a furious howl, the Umbreon pushed himself through his army, his paws pounding up dust and grass as he finally sprang into a clearing. Through the mass of bodies around him, Boreil searched desperately for Memphis by the rocks. He was finally moving. They were outnumbered, and practically surrounded.

"Kyosan!"

The pawn moved twice.

Time seemed to slow down as every creature on the field seized every dreg of his energy and sprinted to their fate. The gap between the three groups of Pokémon grew smaller as the wind whistled in their ears and stung their eyes, whipping their fur and slipping past their scales, the ground pushing back against the onslaught of their muscles as they grew closer and closer, and with a collision of bodies the field was suddenly alive with wrestling, writhing Pokémon.

A Flareon seized Boreil with her claws and threw him down, thrusting her fangs into his shoulder. As Kyosan pinned a Flaafy to the ground, raking his back claws down its flank, a Staravia seized his neck-fur and hauled him off, flinging him into a large knot of shrieking, scrambling fighters. All around him there was noise, shrieks of pains, screams for help. He looked to the serene sky, blinking blood from his eyes, trying to focus. Something heavy collided with his flank and he was thrown off-balance. With a snarl of fury he assaulted his attacker, who writhed and squirmed as Kyosan's small fangs pricked its neck. It screamed painfully, and within seconds Kyosan felt four of five powerful bodies pressing down upon him, tearing his fur out in clumps and screeching in fury.

"Kyosan!"

Through the bodies that were tearing at his flesh, Kyosan heard a pitiful, familiar wail. His shoulders, stomach, back and face were stinging, he was blinded by pain and rage, and with a howl of pure ferocity, dragged himself from their clutches. He bounced away several paces, his cut paws painful on the grass, and looked around with a heaving chest as the fray around him.

It was mayhem. Boreil was pinned beneath a skinny Sneasel, and he recognised a floored Shiftry as Niall, another member of his army. A scarred Buisel Kyosan knew as Aruka was swiping single-handed at a Croconaw and a Vulpix, before several more warriors piled on top of him and proceeded to tear him to shreds. Everywhere he looked, the creatures he had grown to know were racked with pain; the creatures that perhaps he loved, deep down, but had never admitted it, and he knew that it was now too late. The grass was crimson with blood. Screams and cries of terror split the night-air like gunfire, and the howls of his allies, his followers, his friends, went through his body like physical pain. Desperate, his tough exterior whittled down to nothing, he opened his jaws and cried out for her to call him again, to let him know where she was, if she was hurt, so he could help her, save her, kill whoever was hurting her, do **something.** He was staggering around blindly without knowing it, blood pouring from the wounds on his shoulders and flank, narrowly missing stabs and swipes, when he suddenly saw her.

Three Skorupi ahead of him had pinned the slender, pale pink Espeon to the floor and were nipping at her boldly, their pincers clicking like ominous applause as they tore fur from the wiry frame of their prisoner. She let out another desperate whimper, thrashing desperately as another Skorupi joined in. With a snarl of rage, Kyosan flung himself onto the team of bugs. The unfairness of everything exploded out of the long-legged fox as he grappled with the insects, seizing the tail of one in his jaws and, with a mighty wrench, tearing it clean off. As went to toss it aside, an acrid stench hit his nostrils as a stinging liquid doused his muzzle. The Skorupi screamed in agony, its body jerking and writhing erratically. Eyes streaming, he batted another away and spat the tail on the ground.

"Get off of her!" he choked, unable to see, to think. The fluid from inside the Skorupi was burning him, piercing his skin like a thousand needles.

"You wanna play, pretty boy?"

The metallic voice of the third Skorupi was hard to make out through the clicking of its pincers, but Kyosan caught every word. His eyes narrowing viciously, he flexed the muscles in his long legs, his pointed tail swishing. The insect laughed hoarsely and scuttled further in front of the Espeon, its tail jabbing at thin air over its back dangerously.

"Come get 'er, foxy," the Skorupi jeered. The remaining bug behind him pulled away from the Espeon and instead turned to face Kyosan, smirking.

"Yeah, c'mon. Or are you too chicken to do anything to save 'er?"

Blood was pounding his ears, the sound of the battle deadened. His muzzle stung unbearably but he kept his eyes, now narrowed slits, fixed on the pair of scorpion Pokémon ahead of him. Behind them, the gentle form of the Espeon lay motionless.  
Around him, the battle raged. Nobody took the slightest notice of the Umbreon, standing there as if half dead but, in reality, far from it. He kneaded the grass beneath his paws and tensed, ready to spring and maul.

"Kyosan."

He froze in place, half crouched, his legs like rock. He didn't blink.

The Skorupi stared impassively at the large scarlet lobster that was standing directly behind Kyosan. With a slight nod of the head, Memphis dismissed the two insects. They gave him a curt nod in return, and scurried back towards the bloodlust.

"Kyosan, Kyosan, Kyosan..." Memphis murmured once the insects were out of sight. "Will you not turn and face me?"

Kyosan realised vaguely that his jaws were clamped shut. He was gritting his fangs so hard it was painful, and his muscles were starting to complain of their solid, tense positioning. Yet he didn't move.

"Will you not turn and face me, Kyosan? I want to see you when I kill you... I want to see you die, Kyosan..."

Jeering laughter. The fur on Kyosan's hackles started to rise against his will and he lowered his head, his shoulders hunched. His vision was blurred from blood and sweat, and all he could smell was poison.  
Slowly he swung around to face the Crawdaunt.

Memphis stood there, tall and ostentatious, the golden star on his forehead splattered with blood. His claws, muddy iron vices, shone in the dusty yellow moonlight. The two feelers on his stomach pawed the air silently, and his eyes, shadowed by the holes in his armour in which they resided, staring unblinkingly into Kyosan's face. Around him stood his closest warriors: Voyuko the Donphan, his stout legs caked in mud and dried blood, half of one of his tusks missing; Vinnie the Skarmory, his amber eyes glaring stupidly, one wing held awkwardly as if he was in pain; Hilde the Ambipom, her expression sulky as her mutated tails flicked behind her; Zen the Noctowl, his huge round eyes luminescent with a blue glow, casting his dark brown plumage into a ghostly light.

"You aren't a coward, Kyosan," Memphis said thoughtfully as Kyosan growled, his eyes darting from his enemy to each henchmen and back again. From a gesture of a crimson clamp, Hilde moved forward, the hands that tipped her tail clenching and flexing. With a flurry of wings, Zen suddenly sent a burst of blue light towards Kyosan, who leapt backwards as if stung. His body started to heat up and to his dismay, an azure light surrounded his frame completely and slowly lifted him into the air. Hilde thrust one of her purple tails forward, the beige hand wrapping firmly around the dark fox's throat. Struggling against the impossible bond of Confusion, Kyosan tried desperately to haul air into his lungs, but it was hopeless, he couldn't breathe, his head was pounding, his very brain was going to explode, the hand around his throat surely belonged to Death, his eyes were rolling-

"One of us will die tonight, Kyosan-"

"Then it'll be you!" screamed a familiar voice. The energy surrounding Kyosan disappeared. The hand around his throat slackened and he retched and shuddered, thrashing to free himself in time to see a purple blur charge towards him.

"B-Borei-l!"

The Nidorino rammed his horn into Zen's side; the Noctowl shrieked in fury and, in an explosion of feathers, started lashing out at every part of the Nidorino he could reach. Boreil dug his claws into the baked dirt beneath the grass and stood his ground.

"Fly away, beaky," he advised darkly, opening his jaws and sending several needles of light towards the flying type. Zen let out a frenzied squawk as the pins pierced his flesh through his feathers, sending stinging poison throughout his body. With a roar of rage, Voyuko whacked the Noctowl from his path and leapt upwards with surprising agility, his body rolling into a wheel in midair. He crashed back to the ground and whirred towards Boreil as a grey-and-black blur. Hilde threw Kyosan aside roughly and readied her tails as the Umbreon skidded across the harsh ground.

"Boreil!" he howled through a mouthful of dirt, but the Nidorino took no notice. His claws were dug so fiercely into the ground that they started to hurt, but he braced every scrap of energy and muscle in his body for the oncoming impact-

BANG.

With a nasty grinding noise, the rolling Donphan slammed into Boreil's side. Earth was thrown in all directions as Voyuko's spinning form dug deeper into the ground, unable to move from the purple creature blocking his path. Screwing up his eyes in determination and pain, Boreil went to push back against the force of the Donphan, but his feet suddenly gave up. With an explosion of dirt, Boreil's claws were ripped from the ground and he went careering backwards through the air. Kyosan gave a cry of alarm, struggling desperately to his paws, but a harsh blow to the back of his head sent him spinning. Dazed, he looked back at the large metal bird that had struck him. Vinnie was grinning stupidly.

"Where you going, pussycat?" the Skarmory asked, snapping his beak viciously. Snarling, Kyosan opened his mouth to reply when a howl of pain stopped him.

Hilde the Ambipom was holding Boreil up in the air using all of the hands on her tails. Memphis stood in front of them tauntingly, one crushing claw around the Nidorino's throat. Voyuko stood beside his leader, his entire body splashed with mud from his previous roll-out.

"Your bravery could be valuable," he said, his head tilted to one side. "Such a shame it was wasted on this pathetic losing side."

With a lash of his tail, Kyosan sprang forward, but a sudden stabbing pain against his spine told him that the brute Vinnie wasn't going to let him go quickly. Instinctively his body twisted around and he snapped his jaws against the bird's throat, but all they met was cold metal. His desire to save Boreil overcame him as Vinnie swept his wings together, which caused a blast of wind that almost knocked the Umbreon off balance.

"Will you join me, Nidorino? Or will you valiantly try to save your fox friend over there?"

"A fox friend that was a better leader for me than you could ever be," the Nidorino rasped in reply. The horn on his forehead suddenly shone a bright purple, and with a thrash of his body, he rammed it into the soft underbelly of the Crawdaunt just as Zen unleashed a psychic blast.

Kyosan screwed up his eyes as a brilliant blue light engulfed the fighters. A cry behind him told him the Vinnie had been caught by the energy.

"Boreil!"

The light suddenly gathered into a single sphere around Hilde, Boreil and Memphis. Kyosan opened his eyes to squint, panic racking his body-

BOOM.

The explosion blasted him off his paws; he felt a harsh crack to his skull as he slammed into the Skarmory behind him. The two Pokémon crashed to the dirt several feet away, engulfed in dust and dirt and tangled in each other. Struggling to free himself from the sharp metal feathers, Kyosan scrabbled with his paws, waiting desperately for sight of Boreil. The battle around him was now meaningless. What did it matter, really? What did it matter that they might have already lost the battle? What did it matter that Memphis might be dead? What did any of it matter anymore?

The dust cleared. Kyosan's ears pricked forward anxiously as he took a step closer.

"Boreil?"

He focused on the figures standing amongst the remnants of the blast, and a choke escaped his throat. Memphis lay on his side; half of his outer shell was blasted away and his eyes were blank and staring. Hilde the Ambipom was a few feet away, unconscious, her body scratched and bleeding, and beside her lay Voyuko, gasping for breath, his muscles jerking from the after-effects of the Psychic. But everything inside Kyosan fell away; his very breath left him, his very soul, as his eyes rested on the Pokémon that had saved his life.

Boreil laid there, his body twisted and broken, blood pouring from his open jaws. He gave a final shudder, and was still.


	3. Written in Ink, Sealed in Blood

**Chapter Two:** _Written in Ink, Sealed in Blood_

The next few days swallowed the forests slowly and silently. The air, the soft breezes, the yellowed leaves of the trees stank of lingering death, sweat, sadness.

Deep within the huddled trees was a waterfall, which usually churned and roared into a deep green pool below as a froth of madness and ferocity. Now, it was a voiceless sheet of clear water.

Some fifty feet above the parched ground was a hollow in the cliff face, covered by the drape of silent water. It led to a cave of slate. Trickles of water slipped slowly down the stone walls, and sponges of moss grew in spots across the cold floor. Huddled around a solitary stalagmite was a subdued body, its black fur streaked with dirt and blood. It was silent and unmoving, much to the anxiety of another creature inside the cave. The lilac fox watched him with worried lavender eyes, yet kept her distance. The stone floor was cold against her flesh.

A pale gold Ampharos with delicate stripes of black around her neck regarded the situation with some discomfort. As her gentle paws patched up the injuries on a solemn-looking Shiftry, her gaze wandered from the Espeon to Kyosan and back again. She sighed softly and gave the Shifty a pat.

"There we are, Niall, good as new," she said, trying for a smile. "It takes more than that to bring you down, doesn't it?"

The Shiftry grinned lazily. Despite his slightly stern appearance, his amber eyes glinted with goodness as he thanked the Ampharos. Between these two yellow orbs was a long, pointed nose, and his entire body was surrounded by a thick mane of shaggy white hair. His skin was brown, his mouth wide, and his fingers leafy fans.

"Thanks, Elana," he replied, resting one crooked elbow on his knee and resting his head back slightly against the cave wall. "How is everyone else?"

"Roze and Grey are fine," she replied, looking over at the two as she spoke. A military-looking Luxio was settled between a stalagmite and the cave wall, his dark fur fluffed slightly against the cold. Huddled against him was a small bundle of dusty-red fur that was rising and falling gently in the soothing rhythm of sleep. Grey watched over her with a steely expression, one paw resting awkwardly due to a large slash across the pad. "But Kyosan..."

Kyosan lay there forlornly, his head on his paws, watching. The absence of Boreil made such a gaping, empty hole that at first he thought he wouldn't be able to bear it. Eventually, everything went dull and crushed in his mind, and he did nothing but lay on the dirt limply, staring into space. He was vaguely aware of Elana looking at him whilst talking quietly to Niall, and he also knew that the delicate Espeon had caught him in her anxious gaze.

"Kyosan?"

The Umbreon jumped out of his trance, slightly startled and a little irked that she had disturbed him. His ears flicked grudgingly as he looked in the direction of the voice. Dusk was watching him timidly, her ears flat and her eyes wide. She took a cautious step forward.

"What do you want, Dusk?" Kyosan asked grumpily, his tail twitching against the cool stone floor on which he lay. Dusk tilted her head to one side, no change in her expression. She took another small step forward.

"I was wondering how your wounds are," she began softly, but she stopped speaking as Kyosan let out a low growl.

"They're fine," he snapped haughtily, looking away from her and gazing through the wall of water that poured down in front of the entrance to their cavern. "No thanks to you."

Dusk flinched. Kyosan stared determinedly at the waterfall, his eyes slowly narrowing into dangerous slits.

"I'm sorry," the Espeon murmured at last, dipping her head. "I didn't mean-"

"Get away from me!" Kyosan spat loudly as he looked back at her, automatically trying to get to his paws but wincing as a dull pain shot through his shoulder. Over in the corner, the heap of fluffy, pale-red fur stirred, disturbed by the velocity of the Umbreon's cry. Grey scowled over in Kyosan's direction, watching as Dusk skittered away.

"Grey..?"

The Luxio glanced down in surprise as the Vulpix spoke. Her eyes were half-closed from sleep, but her tone was solicitous. Grey gave her a small, reassuring smile and nudged his muzzle against hers.

"Go back to sleep."

Elana watched sadly as Dusk fled through the watery entrance. Niall sighed and closed his eyes, his foliage fingers trailing on the damp floor.

"Poor kid," he observed, and Elana nodded, her paws clasped against her chest. She could see the wavering form of the fox through the cascading waterfall, and she felt her heart tear a little as the Espeon's shoulders hunched and quivered.

_Oh, Kyosan..._

The Umbreon got to his paws gingerly, ignoring the ache that pulled at his muscles. He kept his gaze away from the waterfall stubbornly, and instead began limping around the cave. His thought eventually wandered away from the injured Espeon, and instead lingered on the battle.

_We're lucky to even be here. Any of us._

It was true. The group of Pokémon that had gone against Memphis and his horrific regimes that plagued the forest was not only made up of the creatures that resided in this mountainside cavern. All across the woods and fields, small communities of Pokémon had risen against the onslaught, branding themselves fighters under his name, Kyosan's name, and now they had finally won. All the months of training, the years of not knowing where the Crawdaunt and his armies were going to strike next, had finally built up into a final clash that resulted in not only the death of Memphis himself, but of Boreil the Nidorino, Aruka the Buisel, and hundreds of other members of their legion. Was it really worth it?

As Kyosan padded towards the waterfall, he glanced around at the remaining Pokémon. Roze the Vulpix had fallen asleep again, nestled warmly against the chest of the Luxio she loved. Grey kept guard, his paws wrapped around the small form of the fox, occasionally glancing down at her with a curious expression of affection and confusion. He had, Kyosan knew, fought alone on the battlefield, taking down more rival creatures than the others put together. He was a ferocious fighter, strongly independent... much like himself, Kyosan thought, though of course not as strong.

Of course.

Then there was Elana, who was currently bustling around her medical supplies. She hadn't fought, but had saved many lives that night. She looked around at Kyosan as he passed, and gave him a kindly smile. She was, he knew, a pure soul of warmth and happiness. She was devoted to medicine, to healing and saving lives. She rarely lost anybody, but when she did it hit her hard. Nevertheless she got back on her feet with admirable speed, and Kyosan had to gruffly admit that they would _all_ be lost without her.

Niall was still lying back against the damp wall of the cavern next to Elana, looking like an overgrown log with hair. He gave Kyosan a wicked grin despite the pain that plagued his body, but the Umbreon didn't return it.

How many others had died in his name? When he thought back to the time when the legion was small, made up of the Pokémon who all lived inside this cavern, a horrific jolt took place in his stomach. Over half of the creatures that had been there when it all started were now dead. He brooded upon this miserable thought as he padded around a stalagmite that jutted out of the cavern floor, and ducked his head as he pushed through the pounding waterfall.

He emerged on the other side soaked, his coat shining from the water, dirty droplets running down his muzzle and stinging his eyes. He shook his head lazily, dousing the hot stone beneath his paws. It was another scorching hot day; the heat-wave was clearly not over. His body complained of the harsh change from the cool cavern to the hot sunlight, but he hunched his shoulders and ducked his head, his scarlet eyes observing the forest and fields below.

It was a sea of green and yellow. The trees stretched up towards the blinding sun yet the fields shrivelled. The grass was browned and dry from the intense heat. A lone Taillow glided past in the distance, probably seeking shade and coolness. Even from his high viewing point, Kyosan could see hardly any life.

"How long do you think it will last?"

Kyosan jumped. Scolding himself silently at his reaction, he looked to his right to see Dusk sitting beside him, staring down into the forests below. Her face was a mask of sadness, her slender figure completely still. Kyosan narrowed his eyes and followed her line of sight down into the lifeless trees.

"If you mean the heat-wave," he muttered sullenly, "I don't know. If you mean the peace between the Pokémon in this region... it will last however long it lasts."

He went to get to his paws, but stopped as he felt something warm press against his side. He looked around in alarm to see Dusk nestling against him, her tail curled neatly around her paws. Her pelt felt like crushed velvet against his, and he could feel her heart beat steadily against his body. Completely bewildered, he sat there with his front legs splayed, his shoulders hunched and his eyes huge in a mixture of complete shock and indignation.

Behind the crashing wall of water, Elana watched the two Pokémon as they sat there: Kyosan, leaning slightly to the left to discourage contact with Dusk, his expression sulky as he stared in the complete opposite direction to her; Dusk, her tail inching around his, apparently oblivious to Kyosan's discomfort. The Ampharos smiled to herself, but this expression was quick to fade as she thought of Boreil, and Memphis, and the rebellion that was sure to come.

*

The evening arrived warm and muggy. Kyosan paced the cavern agitatedly, tracing the same path in a circle. Dusk watched him anxiously from her mossy nest in the corner, her lavender eyes large as she waited for him to say something.

"Calm down," Elana advised good-naturedly, gathering up the leftover berries from dinner and pushing them into a neat pile with her tail swishing playfully. Kyosan did nothing but spit, changing direction so harshly that his claws scraped the floor.

"Eat some food," Niall suggested, holding up a Pecha berry heartily before shoving it into his mouth. Kyosan didn't reply.

"Go to sleep," Dusk put in helpfully, but this time, Kyosan chose to react. Stalking over to Dusk, he leant down and shoved his face aggressively into hers, his fangs bared.

"I don't know about _you,_" he snarled, his eyes flashing, "But due to the fact that I had to save a certain somebody's life yesterday, which resulting in putting my own in danger, I find it pretty hard to relax, let alone go to sleep!"

Dusk recoiled. "I only-"

"You only, you only! Boreil is_ dead!_" Kyosan howled, straightening up and addressing everybody. "He is dead because he saved my life, and I wouldn't have needed it saving if it wasn't for her!"

Elana's expression turned to one of shock. Niall gaped at Kyosan, his mouth full of half-chewed berries. Roze was terrified, her pointed ears flattened, her six reddish-brown tails wrapped around her. Grey stared at Dusk accusingly, hooking one paw around the Vulpix and pulling her close.

"Kyosan," Elana said eventually, "Boreil's death was nobody's fault." She fixed him with a stern look to stop him from interrupting. "He died by a Psychic energy blast. I examined his body afterwards."

For a moment it seemed like Kyosan was going to attack everybody in the room. His face was one of fury, all of the muscles in his powerful body tensed, he wanted to scream that that wasn't even the point, but instead he opened his jaws and shot a bluish-white beam of ice at the cavern wall. Shards of sharp, frozen water shot in every direction from the impact, and ice steadily crept across the cavern wall, covering it in a thick, glittering layer. Closing his jaws with a snap and breathing heavily, Kyosan glared at everybody in the room as if daring them to contradict his ice beam.

Nobody said anything.

He couldn't stand the way they were looking at him: with pity. His insides burned hot with humiliation and he dithered angrily on the spot, unable to look anybody in the eye. Just when he was about to break the irritating silence, an unfamiliar voice from the cavern entrance made him jump backwards wildly.

"Excuse me... is this a bad time?"

All eyes fell on the creature standing in the moonlight. It was small and crimson, apart from its stomach and the lower parts of the claws it wielded, which were cream. It stood on six skinny legs, and three scarlet spikes stuck out from the top of its head. Its eyes were large, oval and nervous.

Once again, nobody said anything. The Corphish in the entrance stared warily at the ice-covered wall, and then at the tall Umbreon standing in the middle of the cavern. It looked alarmed to see that the black fox's face was contorted with fury.

"Who are you?" he snarled, his hackles rising. This Pokémon looked incredibly similar to a dangerous enemy. His eyes narrowing in fury, Kyosan took a few threatening paces forward. "Tell me who you are, or leave!"

The Corphish clicked its claws together nervously and looked around at the other Pokémon. The Ampharos was staring at him, moving slightly closer to the Umbreon. A wounded Shiftry in the corner had got its feet unsteadily, but was brandishing its leafy fans with a dark expression on its evil face. The Vulpix was pressing into the Luxio in terror, and the electric dog Pokémon was slowly baring its teeth. Swallowing, the Corphish looked back at the Umbreon, and was startled to see that it had moved several more paces closer to him.

"Are you deaf?" Kyosan growled viciously, his body convulsing with the effort to stop himself from leaping on the newcomer and ripping its stupid claws off. The Corphish shook his head wildly.

"N-no, sir," it stammered, before clearing its throat and raising its head a little higher. "M-my name is Solomon, sir, S-Sol for short. I-I... I want to join your legion!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when Kyosan interrupted, "Why? Who are you?"

"I am Sol, sir," the Corphish repeated a little more firmly. "I... came to warn you about something, and to join your legion of fighters."

"Warn us?" Roze asked worriedly, peering out from behind her tails. "Warn us about what?"

"Well, miss, you see-" Sol began, but he was cut off as Kyosan stalked in front of him, staring around at the Pokémon.

"This is a minion of Memphis'!" His tail lashed the air agitatedly. "Don't you see the resemblance? This is a minion of Memphis', come to take his revenge on us!"

"No!" Sol cried out loudly, scuttling around Kyosan and looking around desperately. "I am not a follower of Memphis, and I never truly was!"

"Then why," Kyosan snapped, whirling around to face Sol, "do you carry the stink of Memphis, of our enemies?"

"Because," Sol answered wearily, dropping his gaze. "... Memphis..."

He trailed off. Kyosan snorted and shook his head, looking away. Dusk got to her paws and took a few small steps towards Sol, trying to rearrange her face into a kinder expression.

"Sol," she said softly, settling down in front of him and wrapping her tail around her front paws. "What did you come to warn us about?"

Kyosan growled in exasperation and turned away, beginning to pace again. The ice on the wall had started to melt slowly.

"I came to warn you about Memphis' old followers," Sol answered nervously. At this, Niall, Roze, Grey and Elana leaned forward slightly, ears pricked. "They have appointed a new leader."

"What?!" Niall exclaimed, outraged. "But Memphis has barely even been buried! How can they have a new leader?! It's ridiculous!" He threw his arms into the air to express his fury and sent a powerful gust of wind through the cave.

"I know," Sol replied, after regaining his balance. "But they have, and they're already planning to take down your followers on the east side of the region."

"How do you know this?" Elana asked quietly. There was a hint of suspicion to her sweet, calm voice. Sol looked at her sadly, his heart pounding in his chest, but Dusk quickly prevented him from answering.

"Then we must do something," she told them all determinedly. Kyosan stopped pacing and stared at her, his eyes slits.

"Traitor," he hissed, approaching the Espeon with a venomous stance. "Stand up for a minion of Memphis, Dusk, and I swear to you that you will never cross the threshold of this land again."

He stopped in front of her and looked around at everyone, before resting his eyes on the Corphish.

"And..." He pressed his paw steadily against the uneven ground, before scraping it downwards harshly and quickly. A stinging in his pad told him that he had done his job, and he raised his bloodied paw for everybody to see. "I swear by blood... that if this creature is ever seen in this cavern again..." he ducked his head and crept out of the entrance to the cavern, his body low. "I'll never come back."


	4. The Past, the Present and a Mystery

**Chapter Three:** _The Past, the Present and a Mystery_

It was taking Kyosan a long time to drift off. The night air was still warm and it sunk through his fur infuriatingly, making him uncomfortable and hot. He lay sulkily on his stomach, waiting for his eyelids to droop. His efforts were not aided by the fact that the voices of Elana, Dusk and the traitorous Corphish floated in fragments through the rushing wall of water that separated him from them. They were discussing him, he knew it. Scowling, he rolled over onto his back and stared up at the stars.

When he was a young Eevee, naive, curious and unintelligent, he had listened with rapt attention to the old stories told to him by his grandfather, an ancient old Vaporeon with no teeth but many tales. The little Kyosan fawned over myths about heroes who died in some sort of valiant way and had their very soul imprinted in the stars. He sat, starry-eyed, as his grandfather told him about legendary battles fought in their forests: about the evil humans who stole their prey and the mystical warriors who drove them away; about the clash between the giants of the night and the sun. _All of those stories are up there now,_ Kyosan thought silently, his scarlet eyes following the brilliant path of a shooting star as it blazed across the dark sky. He could feel his eyes sting slightly and he shook his head, rolling back onto his front with a grim, annoyed expression on his face, furious at himself for becoming sentimental.

_Stupid._

He yawned widely, and his fangs glinted. The lack of sleep was irritating beyond belief and he stretched out his front legs with a grunt, pricking his ears as he heard raised voices from inside the cave.

"Whatever you may say, I don't trust him."

"That's typical of you, Grey," came Dusk's angry retort. "You don't trust anybody if they're an outsider!"

"Exactly," the Luxio replied calmly. "He's an outsider, thus giving me reason not to trust him."

"You only don't like him because_ Roze_ doesn't like him," Dusk scoffed haughtily, and Kyosan could picture her raised nose, the flick of her tail, the flounce in her step. He raised his eyebrows sceptically, a small smile twitching his mouth.

_She's pushing her luck, _he thought lazily as he heard Grey's low growls.

"Roze doesn't want you to fight." The frightened voice of the small Vulpix punctuated the threatening sounds from the Luxio's throat. "Roze doesn't like fighting."

Kyosan looked over towards the waterfall. Grey's growls had stopped and everybody was silent. Rolling onto his side with 'huff', Kyosan waited blankly for sleep to overcome him, his head buzzing with thoughts.

*

"!"

Kyosan was awoken by a shrill scream of fear the next morning. He had leapt to his paws before even realising he was awake; his heart was pounding harshly against his ribs, and his ruffled fur coursed with electric. Without wasting a second, he leapt through the splashing, sparkling waterfall into the cave and skidded to a halt, panting.

"What-?"

Elana stood there in the centre of the cavern, her eyes wide in terror and one tapered hand on her heart.

"Something pushed me!" she whispered, shaking, her usually-gentle eyes on Kyosan. Roze whimpered quietly and buried herself in Grey's paws.

"What do you mean?" Kyosan demanded immediately. He was relieved to know that nobody was hurt, but at the same time he felt irritated. He had half-expected the cause of the scream to be an ambush, or an attack by the Corphish. No such luck, apparently.

"Something pushed me!" Elana repeated, before suddenly shrieking again. She jumped violently and almost crashed into Niall, her eyes shining with tears of fear. "It happened again! Something's here, something pushed me I can't see anything, I don't know what it is!"

Kyosan cast a weary glare around the cavern, careful to linger his cold gaze on Sol a little longer than everyone else.

"Nobody's here, Elan-"

Then he felt it. Something brushed the fur against his ribs and he jolted violently, his crimson eyes large in disbelief.

"What the-"

His exclamation was cut off by a loud, unfamiliar giggle. Niall, who had been watching the antics with a bemused expression with Elana in his arms, suddenly felt a sharp tug on his long, shaggy white hair.

"Ow!"

"What?" Grey asked harshly, casting his yellow gaze around to look at him, his paws wrapped around the tiny form of Roze.

"Something pulled my hair!" the Shiftry yelled furiously. "When I find out wh-"

Another giggle. Dusk, her ears flat in apprehension, backed slowly into Grey's chest. Niall gritted his square teeth, his eyes blazing in anger. Sol, who had hidden behind the Shiftry as soon as Kyosan had entered, peered around with large, confused eyes. Completely thrown, Kyosan took an uncertain pawstep backwards.

"Who's there?" he asked, masking the nervousness he felt, but suddenly he felt his legs knocked out from under him. He hit the ground with a thud, all the air knocked out of him, his fear and confusion replaced by total bewilderment.

"What the-" he began again. A sudden loud shriek beside him told him that the same thing had happened to Elana, and she fell to the ground next to him with an uncomfortable 'huhhffph'. Snarling, Grey leapt to his paws.

"Show yourself!" he yowled as Roze cowered between his legs. There was a moment of silence. Kyosan got to his feet, swinging his head in all directions as Elana trembled beside him.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

Another giggle.

A small, dark purple Pokémon slowly flickered into view. It wore a necklace of dark beads around its neck, and its yellow-and-white eyes twinkled mischievously. It had appeared right in front of Roze, and it opened its small oval mouth to say one word:

"Boo."

It was pandemonium. Roze yelped in terror and jumped upwards, smacking Grey in the stomach and winding him. The Luxio staggered sideways with an 'oof' sound and then lunged forward for the Misdreavus without even pausing for breath. The ghost Pokémon span upwards towards the ceiling with a giggle; Roze took off for the entrance of the cavern: Dusk attempted to waylay her but missed; paws scrambling, the Vulpix fled through the waterfall at top speed out of sight, and with a roar of rage and fear, Grey pounded after her.

The ghost Pokémon was still chuckling. Kyosan's eyes, which were so large beforehand, had now narrowed into dangerous slits. Elana moved further behind him as a look of indignation came over Dusk's face.

"Who are you and what gives you the right to scare us like that?" she asked haughtily, her tail sticking straight up in the air. The Misdreavus gave her a cute smile and span around once in midair, showing off for the pretty Espeon.

"My name is Enar," he said sweetly, blinking his large, innocent eyes at her. "And I was only having a joke."

"Well don't!" Kyosan snarled, his claws unsheathing and scratching the stone beneath his paws. "Why are you here?"

Enar looked surprised as his harsh tones. Quickly rearranging his face into a saddened expression, he spoke in a quiet, upset voice: "I wanted to join you and help you in the fight."

"The fight is over," Niall said briskly, stepping closer to the group gathered in the centre. He stared around at them all impressively, his eyes glaring either side of his long nose from under the mane of white hair. "Memphis is dead."

"But," the Misdreavus interrupted stubbornly, "they have a new leader!"

Sol made a sudden anxious movement. Dusk looked at him questioningly, but Kyosan didn't notice. He was once again trembling with anger.

"And you've come to spy on us for this new leader, have you?" he yowled accusingly, baring his fangs. Elana gave the Misdreavus an apologetic look. She had a feeling she hadn't meant his joke in a nasty way and there was something about the ghost Pokémon's youthful aura that gave her a sense of peace. Enar, however, looked naively surprised at the Umbreon's hostility.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed in a you're-being-very-stupid voice. "My trainer released me into the forest and I wanted to get awa-"

But what he wanted to get away from they didn't hear, because there was a sudden uproar at his words. Dusk and Elana had to fling themselves on top of Kyosan to stop him from ripping off the Misdreavus' head. Niall took an intimidating step forward, all cool-headedness gone. His yellow eyes were huge and bloodthirsty.

"You come from humans?" he asked harshly, his large teeth gritted. The Misdreavus gave a nod, his face stricken. For the first time, he felt nervous. The atmosphere had changed completely. Was it something he said?

"Traitor!" Kyosan howled, paws scrabbling in the dirt in his vain attempts to get out from under the combined weight of Elana and Dusk. "Spy! Freak!"

Niall gave a grave nod of approval at Kyosan's words. He was staring at the small ghost Pokémon with an incredibly cruel expression on his face. "You don't belong here."

"Don't say that!" Dusk yelped as she was tossed aside. Kyosan powered his way out from under Elana, who squealed in fright, and stood with his face twisted in an ugly expression of fury. He was breathing heavily.

"Get out of here!" he hissed, before swinging his head round to glare at Sol. "And you, too! You're both traitors!"

"I'm not-" Enar began loudly, but Sol cut him short with a 'hush'. He scuttled forwards, his claws clicking anxiously.

"Kyosan," he said clearly and calmly, although he blinked rapidly as he spoke. "I am not a traitor, nor do I intend to be. I..." he swallowed. "I only wish to be of assistance to you."

"Cut the fancy words," Kyosan snapped, "and get the hell out of my sight!"

"Kyosan-"

"And you!" Kyosan wheeled around to face Dusk. "You can leave, too! It's your fault Boreil isn't here!" He looked quite mad. "Get out of here and never come back!"

"Kyosan," Elana said softly, her large eyes brimming with tears. "Kyosan, don't..."

"If you side with them, you're against me!" Kyosan yowled in reply. "You're all traitors! All of you!"

Niall stared at him blankly. There was complete silence in the cave apart from Kyosan's continued harsh breathing. Elana was crying silently, ashamed at her feelings of fear for her friend and leader. Dusk had turned her back on him, her head down, her tail still. Enar was the only creature moving. He was scanning the cave floor with interest, bobbing up and down.

"Whoa, that's one weird rock."

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Kyosan near screamed, and then, as totally accidental contradiction to his words, copied his actions of the night before and stalked right of the cavern.

*

It was a subdued group that gathered together that evening. Niall had gathered twigs and dried, dead leaves from the forest below and started a fire in the centre of the cave. Grey and Roze hadn't yet returned.

"So," Enar said impatiently into the silence. "Can somebody explain to me what's going on here?"

Dusk was resting her head on her slender paws, staring into the fire. The dancing flames reflected golden in her sorrowful eyes.

"Anybody?"

Elana didn't answer either. She was delicately sewing leaves together in the light of the fire using split grass and a pine needle. Her mind wandered elsewhere. Niall was sitting beside her, absently fanning the fire with his leafy hand, listening to the crackling and spitting of the flames. His thoughts lingered on Kyosan with anger, pity and sadness. Sol sat dejectedly, his claws limp and eyes miserable. He had barely spoken since his arrival. It hadn't been what he imagined at all. When he thought it out, the Sol inside his head had burst in, wowed them all and instantly been appointed top-informant. Yet, he'd barely made any impression, and the Umbreon already hated his guts.

"Hey!" Enar span around a few times. "Is anybody gonna tell me what the heck's happening to this forest or not?"

Niall spat the twig he had been chewing on out of his mouth and let out a long sigh.

"It's a long story," he began, only to be interrupted by Enar.

"How long?"

"Long."

"Very long?"

"Long enough."

"I have time," the Misdreavus told him fervently.

"I know."

"Will you tell all of it?"

"Enar," the Shiftry sighed, scratching his head. "I let you stay purely out of the goodness of my heart. Now shut up."

"Okay."

"It's a long story," Niall said again, and hurried along in fear of being interrupted once more. "And it begins a long, long time ago. Several humans invaded the forests around these parts: trainers, breeders, hunters and poachers. They all took, injured or stole the Pokémon in some way, and soon a rebellion rose.

"A large number of Pokémon wanted to kill the humans and take back what they stole. An equally large amount of Pokémon wanted not to kill, but to drive them away. The ones who wanted to defeat the humans in a bloodthirsty way decided that if the other Pokémon didn't work in the same way, they were also their enemies.

"There were many battles, and a lot of humans and Pokémon were killed." The Shiftry spat into the fire, before continuing. "The Pokémon that wanted to work peacefully were captured, tortured and slaughtered by the opposing side. What remained of the humans left the forests, and the rebels that had killed them and driven them out reigned over us."

Enar floated above the fire silently, his eyes large with confusion.

"But why is everyone still fighting?" he asked curiously, his head tilted to one side. For the first time, he was showing signs of actually listening. Niall observed this, before he suddenly sighed and leaned back against a stalagmite.

"Not too long ago, more humans entered the forest. They did the same as the others; captured, injured, stole, killed. One of the descendants of the founder of the original rebellion decided to fight back in the same way as his 'noble' ancestors." The Shifty scowled darkly. "Memphis went on a murderous rampage. He had a lot of followers too, until Kyosan came along.

"Nobody knows where he came from. He just appeared one day, at the edge of the forest. One of Memphis' patrols saw him there, and decided to attack. They probably thought he was a spy, or maybe they just wanted some fun. Whatever. Anyway, Kyosan killed nearly every single one of them. The ones that escaped went to find Mr. Crawdaunt and of course, he came to see Kyosan for himself.

"He asked Kyosan to join him. Kyosan said no. Despite his hatred for humans, he wouldn't join Memphis and kill in cold blood. Memphis didn't like that at all."

Dusk raised her eyes to rest on the Shiftry, her ears pricked. Elana continued to sew quietly, but she was listening.

"Kyosan's exploits were hot news in the forest. People that were against Memphis but too scared to speak up came forward. I think Kyosan wanted revenge on the creatures that tried to kill him, so he started to rebel. Others followed him. Not just from around here, from everywhere. They flooded in flocks to help him defeat Memphis, and finally... with help... he did."

Enar remained silently. Pleased with the effect he'd made, Niall stretched and yawned.

"So there you have it. The humans may have left but everybody who followed Memphis are out to get us, mainly Kyosan. Memphis was a popular leader, and, even though I hate to say it, he was pretty good, too. Made everything he did sound for the best, though of course there were those who saw right through him."

"Like me!" Enar declared seriously, his expression haughty. "I always knew he was mean!"

"You never knew him," Elana said in surprise, looking up from the blanket of leaves she had created.

"I know," Enar replied sweetly. "But I would've known he was mean."

Niall cast his gaze over to Sol. The Corphish was still staring into the fire, his expression hard to read. Dusk, however, was gazing out through the waterfall. Her stomach jolted when, through the water, she saw a lithe dark shape adorned with angry yellow rings.


	5. Faded Flowers

**Chapter Four:** _Faded Flowers_

Deep in the heart of the forest, it was cool and the light was dim. It was shielded from the scorching sun and the heat-wave by a ceiling of thick leaves. It seemed like a totally different world.

"Roze?"

Grey's voice came out as a low, anxious growl. He was creeping along quietly, his body low, paws making muffled crunches on the leaves that carpeted the ground. He cast worried glances around with molten amber eyes.

"Roze?" he repeated softly, listening out for her voice amongst the faint birdsong. The light that filtered through the canopy of leaves above his head made a dappled pattern on his coat. There was no sign of life. However, something made him uneasy, and the fur on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably. It looked peaceful and serene, a mass of plants and flowers and forest life.

He didn't like it.

"Roze?" he hissed again. A twig snapped.

SMACK.

Something suddenly cannoned into his side with the force of a bullet. Blinded by shock, Grey flew sideways into a nearby tree and hit the trunk heavily. Winded, the breath knocked out of him, he shook his head to clear away the stars and staggered to his feet, snarling loudly as he tried to focus.

A Mankey was leaping up and down a few metres away, laughing at him. It didn't stay still for even half a second. Its legs and arms never ceasing, it hopped insanely on the spot, the nostrils on its pig-like nose flaring as it stared at him.

"Did I scare you? Huh? Huh? Did I? Were you scared? Did I scare you? Huh?"

Quickly getting over his initial shock from seeing an eccentric monkey scream at him, Grey's hackles rose and he showed his teeth, ready to spring forward.

"I guess you're not answering, well, that's fine I guess I mean I can't expect you to answer as quick as I can but anyway I need to go scare someone else because you're boring me and HEY, did I tell you I scared a little Vulpix a while back, she was real easy to scare, I mean real easy I mean I didn't even try to be honest, I didn't even mean to scare her, I was just walking along and she appeared and I yelled and she yelled and scarpered and hid somewhere, well anyway I really need to get going, motor-mouth, jeez, some people never stop talking."

And he turned and wandered away. Grey stared after him incredulously, his muscles relaxed out of their fighting stance. As the beige tail of the Mankey disappeared into the bushes, Grey shook his head and continued padding across the leaves, his eyes peeled for any signs of the dusty red fox he was searching for... the one that had dominated his mind and memory for as long as he could remember.

-

_He was skulking through the trees in the darkness, the silvery light of the moon providing hardly any light on his path. The dried leaves crackled under his paws and the stench of enemies was in the air. He drew back his upper lip to deaden the stink, his fur bristling along his spine._

"_Intruders," he muttered, his claws scraping the rough surface of the leaves as he quickened his pace, but he suddenly stopped dead and stiffened. Another scent was on the air. It wasn't one of the scouts from Memphis' territory, nor was it was one of their own allies. He drew the scent deeper into his nose, trying to decipher it, when he heard it._

_A thin pitiful wail sounded from a nearby fern bush. Grey's head whipped towards the noise, feeling a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. What was distracting him from his mission?_

_There it was again. Ears pricked, he slowly padded towards the fern, head slightly tilted. As he reached it, he stretched out his muzzle curiously, and to his utter shock, a nose touched his own._

_He was staring at a pair of dark liquid eyes that peered nervously up at him. The face was elegant, the muzzle short, the ears pointed and fluffy. A Vulpix. Her head was poking out from the fanning leaves, slightly curious, wary, scared._

"_..."_

-

Grey shook his head and frowned. He needed to concentrate on finding Roze.

The sunlight was trying desperately to flood this lower region of the forest but the ceiling of leaves held it back. Grey was relieved; he had seen and felt enough of the sun to last a lifetime.

"Roze?" he asked again into the silence. Rustling noises above told him he had disturbed a Pidgey or two, but he didn't look up. Panic was starting to consume him now: raw, ruthless panic. He quickened his pace, his cries becoming more urgent.

"Roze?!" he yowled, trying not to think of how Roze would look if he found her. What if something terrible had happened?

-

_Grey blinked, and she blinked. They both blinked. The Luxio was quickly getting over his feelings of surprise and he pulled his head away harshly; the Vulpix squeaked and buried back down amongst the ferns._

"_Who are you?" Grey asked angrily, tearing at the bush with his front paws. The Vulpix whimpered in terror, trembling as she backed away from his claws, her six tails pressing into the branches of the bush as she tangled herself within them. "Answer me!"_

_She didn't answer. Wanting to see who was refusing him, Grey backed away a few steps, and then rammed his shoulder into the foliage. The Vulpix squealed in fright and bolted from the bush, meandering madly across the forest floor. Grey gave chase._

-

His paws pounded heavily as he fled through the trees, looking around wildly for a smudge of red amongst the green. His breath came in pants, his eyes stretched wide in fear. His heart pounded relentlessly against his ribs like a ram against a gate.

"Roze!" he howled again, skidding to halt and looking around again, turning in frantic circles, his tail held stiff with fright. **"ROZE!"**

He stopped and blinked, gasping for breath, as his eyes took in the sight of a tiny fox-like creature that was sniffing the ground several yards ahead. He could tell even from this distance that it was her; the way she placed her delicate paws, the dainty way she nuzzled the ground with her small nose, the way she wiggled her tails delightfully as she found something interesting. Grey's shoulder's relaxed and he started to lope towards her, filled with a mixture of inexplicable relief and heated fury.

A strange pink object was sticking out of a pile of leaves beside a rotting log. Roze nudged it curiously, her dark eyes round with curiosity. It was like a small fork with only two prongs, sticking upright, and she pushed her nose against it more insistently, her tails wriggling behind her.

It moved.

With a squeak of surprise, Roze fell backwards as a small green caterpillar-like creature emerged from the leaves. It peered at her curiously, the pink prong adorning its forehead; its many tiny yellow feet wiggling.

It greeted her.

It was _terrifying._

With a yowl of fright, Roze took off, running aimlessly, madly, skittering in a winding path. Grey watched her flee and, with a groan, raced after her.

"_Get back here!" he snarled, fur bristling as he raced after his quarry. The Vulpix was incredibly fast, but seemed to have a hopeless sense of direction. Within minutes, she had cornered herself in a small alcove of trees. Grey slowed down, growling loudly._

"_Who are you?" he repeated, his claws scratching the dry ground. The Vulpix cowered, shaking, her fur dusty and smudged with dirt. Her eyes were huge and tearful as she stared at the hostile creature bearing down her._

"_R-Roze," she stammered, her soft voice flooded with anxiety._

"_And what are you doing in this forest?"_

"_Roze... Roze was trying to find somebody."_

_Grey halted, confused. There was something weird about the way this Pokémon spoke._

"_What?"_

"_Roze was trying to find somebody," the Vulpix repeated in a quivering voice, her head low and tails between her legs._

"_You talk weird," Grey replied bluntly. The Vulpix flinched, and he suddenly felt a prickle of guilt. He cleared his throat and sat down. Roze blinked in surprise, her small mouth a perfect, tiny 'o'._

"_Who are you trying to find?" Grey asked in a bored voice, when in reality he was strangely curious to find out about this tiny creature._

"_Roze... Roze was told that there is somebody who doesn't like the bad Pokémon," she replied uncertainly. "Roze was trying to find him."_

_A thrill of realisation._

"ROZE!" Grey yelled after the retreating figure of the Vulpix. Roze didn't react, but kept running, frantic. First a screaming monkey, then a weird green thing with a pink fork stuck on its head, and now somebody who knew her name was chasing after her. What next, a horde of murders?

"_You mean Kyosan..?" Grey answered, raising his eyebrows. The Vulpix looked up, her ears pricking. Her face looked suddenly hopeful, and Grey observed that she had her guard down completely. How immature._

"_Yes... Roze thinks so," she replied, her small paws kneading the dirt. "Roze thinks that was the name."_

She's obviously a crackpot,_ Grey thought sullenly as he studied her. Roze looked back at him, backing away a little anxiously._

"_Does... does Wolfy know where to find Kyosan?" Roze asked timidly. Grey's eyes widened slightly._

Wolfy?_ He thought indignantly, but his mouth answered differently. "Yeah, I do..."_

"_Could Wolfy show Roze?" the Vulpix said quickly, her face suddenly shining with the possibility of reaching her goal. Grey sighed resignedly. She didn't seem like a spy, and she was certainly no danger. She seemed more like a lost, confused little creature with the ability to run like a lunatic._

"_... Alright."_

"ROZE!" Grey screamed furiously. He was catching up and Roze was slowing. She was obviously tired. "ROZE, IT'S ME! IT'S GREY!"

The Vulpix screeched to a halt. Grey let out a yelp of shock but it was too late: he cannoned into her, both of them sprawling across the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of leaves and dirt.

"Why... did you run..?" Grey panted, shaking his head to clear it and sitting up. Roze was lying on her back with her paws curled, bewildered.

"Roze thought Grey was scary."

"Me, scary?" Grey answered haughtily, hauling himself over to her and touching her stomach with his nose. She squealed with laughter and rolled onto her stomach, her sides heaving from the chase.

"Grey can be scary," she replied innocently. "Grey was scary when he first met Roze."

_The journey back to the waterfall cavern was slow. It wasn't that the Vulpix was a cautious traveller; it was just that she had the tedious habit of exploring everything she saw._

"_Ooooh," she said interestedly, batting a plump leaf hanging from a strange plant that happened to be a Victreebel. After another mad chase, Grey decided to carry her in his mouth the rest of the way back. It may hinder his speed, but at least she wouldn't freak out anymore._

"_Roze is sorry she annoyed Wolfy."_

"_Listen, you. Roze. My name isn't Wolfy, it's Grey. So don't call me Wolfy."_

"_Roze is sorry."_

"_Stop saying sorry," Grey replied, irritated, as he picked her up by the scruff of the neck. She dangled there, swaying, from his jaws. She soon invented a new game, which was seeing how fast she could swing from side to side. After an impatient shake from Grey, however, she soon stopped and hung limply, scared of annoying him further._

"That was because I didn't know you," Grey told her, as the Vulpix got to her paws and toddled over to press against his side. "But now I do know you. And I'm very glad I do."

Roze beamed up at him with shining eyes, eyes that radiated happiness, adoration. Grey gave her grin and nudged the fur on her head softly.

"How come you took off in the first place, hmn..?"

"The thing scared Roze," she replied seriously, her head tilted as she looked up at him. "Roze didn't mean to run. Roze did it automatically."

"Hmnph." Grey felt he knew all too well how automatically she ran. He dismissed this, however, and nudged her to her paws. "Come on, let's get back."

The Vulpix nodded in agreement, but suddenly froze. Grey halted also, his muscles tensing painfully. He saw it too.

The shadow of an enormous creature was situated between two trees a little way away. In the dim, dusky light, it was hard to make out entirely what it was. Its huge body was low slung, and four massive arms tipped with steely claws held it above the ground. It seemed to be made of metal, and some sort of cross was visible on its... face? It seemed to be one huge body with no spate head of any kind. Two crimson eyes glared at them unblinkingly from out of the darkness.

Roze was pressing into Grey's side, her heart pounding hard beneath her fluffy chest, emitting soft squeak of terror. Grey backed away several paces, his eyes never leaving the gargantuan form of the creature that was staring at them from the shadows. He could feel Roze shaking.

"... Run."

The Vulpix didn't need telling twice. At Grey's order she threw herself backwards, running as fast as her short legs could carry her in the vague direction of the cavern. Grey leapt after her, not knowing whether the creature was following or not. His eyes stung as dust flew into them, and, screwing up the rest of his strength, he seized her by the scruff of her neck and thundered off towards safety.


End file.
